The sheriff stomped down the halls of the castle in a black mood. He'd found that four of his staff were stealing, not only from him, but his guests, Sir Robert and his daughter, Juliana. Now he was going to have to go through the bother of replacing them, and that angered him almost as much as the fact that the four seemed to have made off before he could punish them.

"Sheriff." Juliana greeted him as they passed in the hall.

"Oh, Juliana." he stopped and forced a smile. "I'd like to thank you for your kind gift." he said, obviously referring to the bribe she'd offered.

"Oh, think nothing of it." she replied. "After all, it's not as though I get nothing out of it."

"True, but three hundred pounds." he smiled. "That was so very generous of you."

"Three hundred." Juliana repeated, confused.

"Yes." he nodded. "Unless of course it was supposed to have been more, then I fear our friend Sir Guy has been busy stealing."

"Yes, of course, I remember now." she said. "I'm glad that we were able to come an agreement."

"As am I." the sheriff said. "I am a bit worried about your father's reaction to the change in situation. Sir Guy has assured me, however, that you've thought of that."

"Don't worry." she said with a smile. "I have indeed." she added. "I was sorry to hear of your problems with your staff."

"Yes." he said gruffly. "That was unfortunate."

"Very much so." she agreed. "I don't envy you, sir, to have to hire new people, to read through any references, to have to gauge whether or not you can trust the person based on a short interview." she shook her head. "I've been through it before, having run my father's household."

"You ran the household?" the sheriff asked. "Of course, being the lady of the house, you would have."

"Of course." she smiled sweetly.

"Could you do me a huge favor?" the sheriff asked.

"Of course, I feel I owe you for your help." she said.

"Would you be so kind as to interview some people for those positions?" he asked, hoping to get out of the task himself.

"I'd be delighted." Juliana said. "Don't worry, I've yet to regret any of those I've hired." she added as she squeezed his arm reassuringly. "Leave it to me."

"I will." the sheriff said, breathing a sigh of relief. One thing off his plate, and now to just deal with the business at hand...

"I heard the cook say something about interested people waiting down in the kitchens." Juliana informed him. "Perhaps I should go..."

"By all means." he said. "I have complete trust in you." he added before excusing himself and heading off to his meeting with Guy and a few advisers.

Juliana smiled as she watched him walk away. So easy, she thought to herself. She had been afraid it would be difficult to get her brothers into the castle, but she had no idea the sheriff would be so kind as to just agree to let her hire whom she liked.

Marian and Juliana made their way to meet Robin and the others. Juliana hadn't been able to see him at all since her first visit when she'd found her father's money.

"So, I assume that you've seen Robin a few times since I last saw him." Juliana ventured a guess teasingly.

"Perhaps." Marian blushed as she brought her horse to a stop and slid down, Juliana following suit. She let out a low whistle and waited a moment while she tied her horses reins to a nearby tree branch.

"Oh, as good as a secret knock or handshake." Juliana said as she tethered her own horse and fed him an apple she'd thought to bring with her. "How very quaint."

"Are you going to tease all day?" Marian asked as she stopped scanning the area and looked over to find her friend smiling impishly.

"Perhaps." she shrugged. "Depends on how badly the two of you blush."

"Who's blushing?" Robin's voice said as he quietly walked up behind the two women.

"No one." Marian quickly answered, shooting Juliana a warning glare that the other woman just laughed at.

"If you promise to behave, Jules, Much as lunch ready if you've not eaten yet." Robin said as he shook his head and led the two to the camp.

"Do you really feel the need to get my word that I'll behave?" Juliana asked, acting as though he'd hurt her feelings.

"Yes." he answered simply. "It's just Marian and Jules." he called as the trio walked into a clearing.

"Just?" Marian asked.

"What ever it is, it smells heavenly." Juliana said, ignoring the little looks Robin and Marian shot at one another.

"Thank you." Much said as he stirred a thick stew in the pot hanging over a fire.

"You're quite welcome." she said as she inhaled the aroma. "What is it?"

"Rabbit." he answered.

Juliana smiled as she took a seat on a tree stump and looked around. She'd always been fond of playing in the forest as a child, but living in it was something else altogether. She much preferred sleeping indoors. How they could stand it, she did not know.

She turned to ask Robin, but stopped when she saw he and Marian withdrawing from the group a bit, holding hands and talking quietly, Marian laughing now and then.

"They can get to be a bit much sometimes." John said as he came to sit next to Juliana. "So much huggin' and kissin', and little looks to each other."

"I think it's sweet." Djaq said as she held bowls for Much to spoon the stew into.

"I agree." Juliana said with a smile as she took an offered bowl. "It must be nice to have someone to whisper to and send those little looks to."

"To a point." Much said as he dished out more stew. "Too much though, and it could give you a toothache to see those two being so sweet and lovey-dovey."

"Perhaps it's a woman thing." Juliana guessed with a laugh as she looked back over to the pair again. "It's a shame though."

"What?" John asked as he scarfed down the stew.

"That they can't be together." she answered, turning back to her food.

She tried to imagine being in love with someone, and yet, not being able to be open about it, not being able to see them whenever one wanted. Of course, she'd never been in love, so it was hard to imagine for more than one reason.

"Don't you like it?" Much asked.

"Hmm?" she asked. "Oh, it's good." she said, realizing he was talking about the food she'd only taken a bite or two of. "Sorry, I've got a million thoughts running through my mind."

"Thieves?" Much asked.

"Excuse me?" she asked, becoming annoyed with herself for sounding like such a twit.

"We'd heard there were some thefts at the castle." John put in as he scraped some more stew out of the pot. "Thinking about that?"

"No." she shook her head. "I got back the silver brush that was stolen." she said as she handed her stew over to John. "I'm sorry, it's very good, I'm just not hungry." she apologized to Much.

"Don't fret." he said with a wave of his hand.

"Do you hear something?" Djaq asked, looking up from her own stew.

The group listened, Robin and Marian brought back from their own little world by the sound of approaching horses.

"Sounds like it's coming from the other side of the ravine." Robin said.

They sat and listened some more before hearing a man's voice shout out to someone. Guy's voice.

"Damn." Robin hissed.

"I guess we should be going." Marian said, not hiding the disappointment in her voice.

"Just stay here." Juliana said as she got to her feet and headed to her horse.

"What are you doing?" Marian asked.

"I'll go and lead Guy away, you stay here and..." she shrugged. "Do whatever it is you and Robin do." she said as she mounted her horse.

"You don't have to do this." Marian said, only half meaning what she said.

"It's fine." Juliana said. "I have something to discuss with Guy anyway." she added. "Have fun." she called back before heading off to keep Sir Guy away so her friends could have time together.

"What does she have to discuss with Gisborne?" Robin asked, coming to stand behind Marian.

"I'm not sure I want to know." Marian answered before turning to Robin and smiling. "But she did just buy us some time."